Why people fall for scams-Bill Gates, Bill Clinton and bankers
Susan Ibitz
??Working on the humans that grow your business | High-performance Human Behavior training- I teach corporations & employees how to hack into humans using Behavior & Persuasion |Behavior Economics
This is a 2-part article
?Sorry paul
Paul is a 17-year-old working in a gas station. Like many kids today, his head is swimming on his social media, dating apps and stupid videos.
A man walks into the store, buy something, cash [ no trail] and start engage in a simple conversation. Then, the customer mobile rang. The wife is on the other side of the line. The man starts an argument about a meeting with the jeweler and a diamond valuation.
The man hangs the mobile and say: “My wife thinks I am stupid. I need to get her grandma's wedding ring value, and she is afraid I will mess this up”. And then ask for the keys to the bathroom, leave for 5 minutes and come back.
10 minutes later, a woman asked for the keys to the bathroom, too, then ran back to the store saying,” I found this box with a diamond ring inside; oh my god, this must be at least 250K; who can lose a ring”
Then Paul remembers the husband and the phone call……………”A man was here a few minutes ago; he must have forgotten it or lost it”
You know where I am going with this story, no???
Well, Paul didn't.
The store phone rang; the man claimed to have forgotten the ring, Paul said, “is here, don’t worry, I have it”. But Paul doesn’t have the ring, the woman has. The man on the phone said, “I will give you $500 for the trouble; you saved my life, you are the best, your parents raised you so well”.
The women imply that she found the ring and they should split the reward, but wait; she needs to leave for a job interview……………..”Why don’t we split the reward?, but how can I trust you? I need to leave NOW. What about you give me $250 or whatever you have, and I leave the ring with your? CAN I TRUST YOU, NOW?”
And here is what we call “the pigeon drop fraud.”. Paul lost $250 and his pride; he got scammed.
Don’t be so hard on Paul
I know that you are thinking, How stupid is Paul??? Not so much different than you or the person sitting next to you.?
This is happening, is happening, and will happen again, and again and again…………..is human nature.
Some of the most well-documented case in the last years
Prince George's County, Maryland (October 2024)
Four suspects were arrested for allegedly scamming an elderly woman out of nearly $40,000 in a pigeon drop scheme. The suspects, James Davis (77), Connie Williams (64), Kenneth Gooden (36), and Mary Daniel (59), approached the victim outside a business in District Heights, claiming to have found a bag of money. They convinced her to withdraw cash from her account over two days as "collateral." The suspects were arrested shortly after attempting to target another potential victim7.
Outcome: The four suspects face multiple felony charges, including theft, conspiracy, and fraud.
Temple Hills, Maryland (June 2023)
Keith Twiggs, 59, was arrested for his involvement in at least two pigeon drop scams targeting senior citizens in Prince George's County. When arrested, Twiggs possessed approximately $21,000 in counterfeit cash and items commonly used in these scams.
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Outcome: Twiggs was charged with multiple crimes, including assault, robbery, and a gun charge.
Vallejo, California (June 2015)
A 74-year-old man, Manny Rolando, lost $10,000 in a classic pigeon drop scam. Two men, "Copey" and "James," convinced Rolando to withdraw cash as a show of trust in exchange for a share of a supposed large inheritance.
Outcome: The suspects were not immediately found, and the victim was unlikely to recover his money.
Oak Park, Michigan (July 2017)
An Oak Park woman lost $20,000 in a complex pigeon drop scam. The scam involved multiple perpetrators and elaborate deception tactics.
Outcome: Police sought three people involved in the scam, but immediate arrests were not reported.
Los Angeles County, California (September 2016)
A 50-year-old woman was sentenced for duping senior citizens out of thousands of dollars in a pigeon drop scam.
Outcome: The perpetrator was sentenced to more than five years in local custody.
Next week, part 2.
In the meantime, take a look at our new classes.
About the Author:
Susan is a former political influence consultant, profiler, and civilian hostage negotiator, with expertise, studies and Master’ in Human Behavior, Behavior Economics, Neuroscience and a nerd for data. Susan works on the humans that grow your business | High-performance Human Behavior training- I teach corporations & employees how to hack into humans using Behavior, Neuroscience & Persuasion |Behavior Economics
She has been called Freaky and the top expert on her field,? by the Chicago Tribune and Psychology Today.
She is the author and researcher of “Irrational Humans. People Make 35,000 Decisions a Day and 95% are Irrational, but Why & How?”
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